Details
Synopsis
After Nazi tanks rolled through Poland during World War II, the Warsaw Zoo was nearly destroyed. Zoo director Jan Zabinski and his wife, Antonina, not only managed to keep the zoo animals alive during wartime, but used it as a shelter for several hundred Jews. This remarkable tale, written with the perfect mix of reportage, poetry, and dramatic flair by noted writer Diane Ackerman, is riveting, thoughtful, and humane., The true story of how the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands. When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw--and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina çZabiânski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the çZabiânskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants--otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes--and keeping alive an atmosphere of play and innocence even as Europe crumbled around her.--From publisher description.
| Size | | Length: | 368 pages | | Height: | 8.5 in | | Width: | 5.3 in | | Thickness: | 1.0 in | | Weight: | 19.2 oz |
Industry Reviews
"Illuminates the profound connection between humankind and nature, and celebrates life's beauty, mystery, and tenacity." (starred review)
(08/08/2007)
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